Imps latest

“We were waiting for games to finish. On a couple of apps the games were over, but on some other apps they weren’t, so we were a little bit cautious.

“My best friend Ross [Poynton], who I went to school with and works as a medical consultant for us, came on the pitch and said ‘remember, I’m a lot better at maths than you are, I promise you, we’re promoted. It was a great.

“We’re in League One a couple of weeks away from our third year anniversary. Back then League One felt like a million miles away.

“Now we’re there and it’s something we should be really proud of.”

Nicky Cowley celebrates after it was confirmed the Imps were up

The Imps underperformed on the day and Cheltenham were good value for their point, but the important work had already been accomplished.

“We wanted to win the game, but we’re now 19 games unbeaten [a new club record]. We’re disappointed [with the performance] but it’s bigger than today,” added Cowley.

“This has been a project which we have been completely focused on all season.

Danny Cowley applauds the Imps fans at the end of the game

“The objective was to get promotion, but, ultimately, it’s been more than just a season’s work for a lot of our players. For Nicky and myself this is a lifetime’s work.

“I know the commitment and the sacrifices we’ve had to make and the players have had to make, and the commitment and sacrifices their families have had to make too.